I think Cosford is a great museum and site with many fascinating and unique exhibits. All the better for most of the UK for being central – it’s such a ball-ache to get to London for most of the UK.
Sadly, I have to agree 100% with the negative comments about the Cold War hangar however. Architects always seem to be trying to make a name for themselves within their own peers – ‘Emperors New Clothes’ etc. Our city-centres are now getting filled with such carbuncles. The CWH is hideous outside and clashes with it’s environment. Inside it’s like a large dark, half-collapsed-building made from scrap. For it’s size, there is actually very little room inside, rather like the Tardis in reverse.
On the other hand, the Super-Hangar at Duxford is absolutely in another league and it’s viewing gallery puts it streets ahead of all the others. It’s also very flexible, whereas the CWH is totally not. Hopefully, some unrepairable structural flaw will be found in the CWH and a decent, airy proper hangar can be built to replace it. While they are at it, perhaps they can extend the runway a tad too…. 🙂

Fifty years of service is pretty good for a ‘failure’, imperfect as they may have been. Looking at some of the current crop of light aircraft which have the feel of Coke tins pop-rivetted together, one may predeict with some confidence that they will not be able to survive fifty years of service, as they are already falling apart. :p

As ever, the Earhart story elicits vast volumes of hot air. It’s all rather baffling, since we all already know where and when she died to within a relatively few tens of miles, as well as why. In short, there really IS no mystery, other than why a few anoraks are so absurdly obsessed.

Let’s assume, just for one brief moment, that they DO find what’s left of the wreck (Almost certainly deep in the Pacific.) exactly how will that extend our knowledge of aeronautical history..? Actually, not one jot. It’s aviation history for trainspotters.

Did any ‘109 ever get farther north than Londinium..? Doubtful without RAF serial number.

I was wondering,, with the vast improvement in the Spitfire’s handling when changing from canvas to metal ailerons, would the Hurricane have benefited from the same modification or was the wing design of the hurricane not conducive to this change? And was it ever tried? Seems the hurricane got shortchanged in the “mod” dept. sometimes, wonder how it would have done with a Griffon up front too.

1. The metal ailerons were an improvement, but not a ‘vast’ one. It wasn’t until the much later wing with the metal-covered, piano-hinged ailerons that the issue was really sort at high speed.

2. There was a development path for the Hurricane, it was called the Typhoon. By the outbreak of war this was well advanced. By the time the Griffon was realistically available, the Hurricane was no longer a serious front-line fighter and Hawkers were already focussed on the Tempest et al.

Hopefully there will be a subtitled version of the program made available.